244 - Set of four zoomorphic figures; Rome; 1st century A.D.

Set of four zoomorphic figures; Rome; 1st century A.D. Bronze. Measurements: 3 x 3 x 2 cm; 2 x 3 x 1 cm. Provenance: Family legacy of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection formed from the 1950s by successive generations of the family, through acquisitions in European galleries and auction houses. Set of four small zoomorphic figures cast in bronze, including what appear to be a boar’s head and a rooster, along with two other smaller animal figures. Their small size and the simplified treatment of their forms are characteristic of this type of small Roman bronze, in which animals could appear as decorative or votive elements or as part of everyday objects. The depiction of the wild boar stands out for the strength of its features, particularly the head and the treatment of the elements that define its appearance. The animal had a significant presence in the Roman figurative repertoire, associated with hunting, strength, and the natural world.The rooster, for its part, was a frequent motif in the art and material culture of antiquity. Its presence could have different meanings depending on the context, ranging from associations with specific deities to its use as an image linked to vigilance, vitality, or the domestic sphere. The collection is particularly interesting due to the variety of its zoomorphic repertoire, which brings together animals with very different characteristics within a single group. These small representations demonstrate the extent to which the animal world was part of Roman visual language and how workshops were able to translate their forms onto small-scale objects.